Shoe polishing apparatus



Dec. 1, c. A, SHOE POLISHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 16 1951 2 Sheets$heet 1 INVENTOR Alla/7175') CARMEN A RED DE GONZALEZ 1953 c. A. DE GONZALEZ 0,74

' SHOE POLISHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR. CARMEN AGREDA DE GONZALEZ IBYW/WW Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE POLISHING APPARATUS Carmen Agreda do Gonzalez, Caracas, Venezuela Application August 16, 1951, Serial No. 242,093

1 Claim. l

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in a shoe polishing apparatus.

More specifically, the present invention proposes the construction of an improved shoe polishing apparatus designed to support shoes to be shined in an inclined position with the toe portion of the shoe uppermost in a manner to have the apparatus obtain a firmer grip on the floor surface to avoid sliding of the apparatus during the shining operation.

Another object of the present invention proposes characterizing the apparatus by a box-like body having an open top defined by walls which have their top edges inclined toward the front of the body in a manner to support a cover used for closing the open top in a position inclined downward and forward to support a shoe rested thereon in the inclined position.

A further object of the present invention proposes forming the cover with an integral shoe support at a location to be engaged by the heel of a shoe positioned centrally on the cover in a manner to retain the shoe fixedly in the desired inclined position.

Still another object of the present invention proposes rotatively supporting rollers along the sides of the box body at an inclination parallel to the inclination of the cover under which the ends of a polishing clot-h are to be passed in a manner so that the ends of the cloth can be alternately pulled to move the cloth to and fro over the top of the shoe to polish the same without having to bend too far down to accomplish the polishing.

The present invention further proposes forming each of the rollers with spaced opposed conical members in a manner to cause the polishing cloth to seek a position along the length of the rollers aligned with the top portion of the shoe resting on the apparatus. 1

Still further, the present invention proposes constructing a novel shoe shine apparatus molded entirely of synthetic resinous materials so as to be light in weight to be more easily handled and moved from place to place.

A further object of the present invention proposes molding transverse rubber strips into the bottom face of the box body in a manner to increase the frictional cont-act with the floor surface and maintain the apparatus in a fixed position.

It is a further object of the present invention to construct an improved shoe polishing apparatus which is simple and durable, which is effec- 2 tive for its intended purposes and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, refer ence will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the shoe polishing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in use polishing a shoe.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating another position of the shoe polishing cloth. I

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus with its top cover in a raised open position.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus, per se.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of Fig. 4, but showing the top cover in its open position.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the end of one of the rollers.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the shoe polishing apparatus constructed in accordance with a modification of the present invention.

The shoe polishing apparatus, according to the first form of the present invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, includes a box body it having an open top. The box body I0 is molded as one piece and has a bottom wall I I, a front wall l2, a rear wall 14 and a pair of like side walls Hi. The front wall I2 is of less height than the rear wall [4. The like side walls l5 have their top edges inclined downward and forward from the top edges of the higher rear wall I4 to the top edges of the lower front wall [2.

The open top of the box body It is closed by a cover l6 which is also molded as one integral piece. The cover H5 includes a flat wall I! bounded on its four sides by a narrow upstanding skirt Wall IS. The top face of the flat wall I! is formed with upstanding diagonally extending ribs It for increasing frictional contact of a shoe 20, see Figs. 1 and 2, with that flat wall ll.

The cover it; rests on the top edges of the walls I2, l4 and I5 to be supported in an inclined position matching the downward and forward inclination of the top edges of the side walls l5. In that position, the shoe 20 resting on the top face of the wall ll of the cover it will be supported in a position with its toe portion upper-. most as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Adjacent its lower front edge, the fiat wall ll of the cover It is formed with an integral upstanding shoe support iii to be engaged by the heel of the shoe 2!}, as shown in Fig. 1, resting on the top face of the wall IT. The shoe support 2| is at a location to be engaged by the heel of the shoe when positioned substantially centrally on the top wall ll.

The upper rear edge of the cover It is pivotally connected to the upper edge of the rear wall M by several spaced hinges 22 retaining the cover in a position closing the open top of the box body Hi. At the same time, the hinges 22 permit the cover it to be pivoted to the open position, shown in Fig. 3, to gain access to the interior of the box body which can be used to store shoe cleaning accessories sueh as cans of polish, brushes, daubers, polishing cloths and the like.

Means is provided for retaining the cover 15 in a lowered position closing the open top of the box body 26. The retaining means is comprised of an upwardly and rearwardly extended projection 23 formed along the top edge of the front wall 12 of the box body. That projection is arranged to be received within a complementary recess 23, see Fig. 5, formed along the front edge of the cover it to retain the cover in a closed position. The skirt wall [3 along the front of the cover I 6 is provided with an upwards ly and forwardly extended handle portion by which a grip can be had on the front of the cover for pulling upward on the same to disengage the projection 23 from the recess 2 to free the cover 16 to be pivoted to its open position. The material of construction being slightly flexible, it is evident that an upward force on handle 25 will force projection 23 outwardly by contact with the lower edge of recess 24. An upward force on handle 25 will also tend to close recess 24 which action will augment the force urging projection 23 outwardly. Thus, it is seen that the retaining means is also effective for quickly releasing the cover from the box.

With the cover [6 in its closed position, the same is supported in the downward and forward inclined condition in which pressures exerted thereon by the shoe 25 will serve to best increase frictional contact of the bottom of the box body 28 with the floor surface to retain the box body against slipping. However, to increase that frictional contact, the bottom face of the bot tom wall Ii is formed with spaced transversely extending grooves 25, see Figsl toe, which are substantially circular in cross-section. Mounted within the grooves 26 there are elongated strips of rubber 2'1. The strips, of rubber 21 are shaped in cross-section and have their upper portions frictionally slidably fitted into the grooves 25. The bottomportions of the strips of rubber 2;? project from the bottom face of the bottom wall ll to bear frictionally against the floor or other surface.

The box body It and the cover is are each molded as an integral piece of any desired synthetic resinous plastic material. It is appreci ated that both the box body It and the cover It could be molded of transparent material to permit the contents of the box body to be viewed without having to open the cover. However, it is preferred that both be molded or" a suitably colored material to be opaque so that the contents of the box body It cannot be seen and so as to harmonize with'the decor of thebathroorn,

4 kitchen or other area of the home in which the apparatus might be kept.

Arranged for use in connection with the main box body just described, there is a shoe shine cloth 28, see Figs. 1 and 2. The shoe shine cloth is formed of an elongated strip of soft fabric material 29 provided at its ends with handles 30. The handles 39 are provided with U-shaped connecting brackets 8| upon which the handles are rotatively supported, The ends of the strip of fabric-material 29 are passed through the U- shaped brackets 3! are secured to themselves by means of spaced rivets or the like 32.

Mounted along the sides of the box body l0,

matching the inclination of the cover Hi, there are rollers 33 beneath which the end portions of the shoe shine cloth 28 are passed after the intermediate portion thereof has been extended across the top face of the cover It. To rotatively support the rollers the side walls l5 of the box body iii are formed with laterally extended brackets 34, The inner faces .of the brackets 34 on each side of the box body, are formed with end aligned trunnions 315 between which the rollers 33. are positioned. The inner races of the trunnions 35 are extended at right angles to the axis of the rollers 33 so as. notto interfere with the free turning action thereof, The rollers 33 are retained'rotatively in posie tion by means of elongated rods 36 passed through aligned holes formed in the rollers 33 and the trunnions 33h The'ends of the rods 35 are milled over at the outer faces of the brackets to be fixedly retained in position thereby. The arrangement is such that as the ends of the shoe shining cloth 218 are alternately pulled the rollers 33 will rotate in one direction or the other permitting the strip offabric 23 topass thereunder with a minimum of frictional contact.

The rollers 33 are preferably molded of the same synthetic resinous, material as, is used for forming the box body iii and the cover 15;. If desired, the rollers 33 can be colored to match the coloring of the box body it and the cover 16. On the other hand, the aestheticappearance of the apparatus can be enhanced by coloring the rollers a different, color which harinonizes with the coloring of the box bodyii) and the cover E6.

The manner of using the shoe shine apparatus is as follows:

The use of the apparatus can be best determined from Figs. 1 and 2. Before starting the polishing, the cover 16 must first. be opened and the necessary accessories-can of polish, daubers, brushes and polishing clothr-removed from. the interior of the box body it). The cover 56 is then again closed. and the. shoe to be polished'rested: on the top face of the flat wall I? of the cover with the heel of the shoe engaged within the shoe sup.- port 2!. The usual procedures are thenfols lowed to first brush the shoe to. removeloose dirt and dust followed by an application of the'desired shoe polish. To buff the polish to ahigh lustre, the shoe shining cloth '28 is positioned with its intermediate portion engaged across the "top of the toe portion of the shoe 29. The handlesfill at the ends of the cloth 2 8 are then passed downward under the rollers 33.-the rollers being spaced sufiiciently from the side walls 55. to per mit passage of the handles 30. The handles. 3!! are then gripped while standing in a nearly erect position as controlled by the length of the, strip offabric 29. The handles 30 are then a1ternately pulled to draw the polishing cloth across the top of the toe portion of the shoe.

To polish the sides and rear of the shoe 20, the ends of the polishing cloth 28 are alternately engaged about the heel of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 2, to position both of the handles 30 on one side of the shoe, In that position, the cloth will function to simultaneously polish the toe portion and the rear of the shoe 20.

The modification of the invention shown in Fig. 7 is characterized by the fact that each of the rollers 33' is formed with a spaced pair of opposed conical portions 40. The conical portions are located closely adjacent the top ends of the rollers 33' in lateral alignment with the area of the cover at which the toe portion of the shoe will be located. The conical portions 40 function to locate the shoe shining cloth 28 along the lengths of the rollers 33 in a position in which the intermediate portion of the cloth will pass directly over the toe portion of the shoe rested on the cover It. The outer ends of the conical portions 40 are not made excessively thick so that those conical portions will only slightly interfere with the use of the shoe shine cloth 28 when used in the position shown in Fig. 2, of the drawings.

In all other respects, the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7 is similar to that described in connection with Figs. 1 to 6 and like reference numerals are used to identify like parts in all of the several views.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I 5 claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

A shoe polishing apparatus comprising a onepiece molded box body having an open top defined by walls having top edges inclined toward one end of said body, a one-piece molded cover for said box body closing the open top and supported in an inclined position by the inclined top edges of the walls of said box body to have a shoe to be polished rested thereon, an integral shoe support on said cover at a location to be engaged by the heel of a shoe positioned centrally on said cover, and rollers supported along the sides of said box body at an inclination parallel to the inclination of said cover, said support for said rollers comprising pairs of brackets extended laterally from the sides of said box body, end aligned trunnions formed on the inner faces of each pair of said brackets and between which said rollers are positioned, and rods extended through end aligned holes formed in said rollers, said trunnions and said brackets rotatively supporting said rollers.

CARMEN AGREDA DE GONZALEZ.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 729,585 Hodes June 2, 1903 958,724 Cooper May 24, 1910 1,230,572 Erickson June 19, 1917 1,250,069 Young Dec. 11, 1917 2,430,958 Silfin Nov. 18, 1947 2,582,567 Sherin Jan. 15, 195-2 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 605,504 Great Britain July 26, 1948 

